Harmony Interrupted
by Logan Rollo
Summary: Started as a Harmony flash. What happens when Hermione wakes up with no idea who she is?
1. Chapter 1

This is just a short Harmony flash fic.

She was about twenty years old. She had curly, almost bushy, brown hair and warm honey brown eyes. She wasn't tall, but she was well built. Athletic more than curvy. There were scars that ran over her legs and arms, just thin white marks that pointed to an active past. That was all she knew.

Two years ago, she'd woken up in a hospital in Arundel. The sisters of Poor Clares had found her one afternoon during a short trip to East Preston Beach. She'd been lying on her back in the stones just under the edge of a boardwalk. The sisters had quickly found a local constable and had the paramedics called in. For three weeks she lay there, no one knew who she was, and she would not wake. Fingerprints and photographs were sent out to other jurisdictions around the country, but nothing came back.

Finally, she woke with a scream. Everyone was startled and the doctors and nurses spent an hour trying to calm her down. When she was finally calm enough to answer questions, she couldn't. She had no idea what her names was, where she was from or what happened that led to her being on the beach. She remained in the hospital for two more weeks until the doctors finally released her into the care of the sisters at Poor Clares.

For the next two years she lived amongst them, not as a nun, but as a lay sister. She worked among the sisters and freed them to observe their vows and prayers by taking on many of the chores around the convent. She would join them for mass and meals but did not follow them into prayer or study.

Having no idea of her true name, she asked the sisters to provide her with one. They declared her to be Francis Arundel. Her name came from the Order of Saint Francis and the town of Arundel in which they lived. She was pleased to have a name, even though she knew it wasn't the name she was given when she was born. Her life was simple, but she was pleased with that. During her private time, she would either read or people watch from behind the fence looking out onto Crossbush Lane.

Several times during her people watches, she saw other young men and women that seemed familiar. She chalked it up to being people she had seen in the nearby stores. Once, she saw a family of redheads arguing loudly. She had mused what it would be like to have a family of her own. A slim, black headed young man had walked past several times over the last few weeks. He was attractive, she guessed. His hair was messy, and he wore round rimless glasses. He seemed to be constantly looking around, as though he'd lost something.

"Francis, I need to speak with you," said Sister Anne.

"Yes, sister?"

"A young man has come by asking if we had seen this young woman," she said holding out a photograph. "It's you."

Francis took the picture carefully. Her hands were shaking, and she could feel her pulse pounding. Someone was looking for her? After all this time? Or had they just now gotten this far?

"Did he say anything else?"

"He will return this afternoon to meet with you if you are amenable"

"Yes! Oh, I'm sorry sister. I didn't mean to yell."

The older woman smiled gently. "That's all right dear. You are excited. I'll ask the other sisters to pray for a resolution. Maybe this is God's answer. If it isn't, and this turns out to be a case of mistaken identity, nothing will change. You will always be welcome here."

Francis nodded and thanked Sister Anne. As the older woman walked away, thousands of thoughts shot through Francis' mind. She went to her quarters and picked out the pretty dress that she had received from the sisters last Christmas. It was handmade. It was a beautiful maroon bodice with a maroon and gold brocade skirt that came to her ankles. The sleeves were three quarter length and bore gold lace at the cuff. The neckline wasn't as high as one might imagine, having been made by the sisters of a religious order. Still, it fit her well and she thought the color was wonderful.

Just a few hours later, Francis sat in the living room of the guest house. Her nerves were getting the better of her. The Mother Abbess had been by and tried to calm her. "Dear, one of us can sit with you if you like. In fact, it might be best."

"Thank you, Mother. If he really is part of my past, I don't think he'll mean me any harm. If he does, I doubt there is much you could do to protect me," she smiled at the sixty something woman. "Besides, it would take someone with a rather poor opinion of themselves to try and harm a woman in a convent."

The Mother Abbess smiled and said, "Nevertheless, I think it would be a good idea for one of the younger sisters and myself to be in the house."

Nodding in agreement, Francis looked at her hands. "I am hopeful that this for real. But I am also scared. I've been here so long, you have all become my family."

"And we always will be. No matter what the outcome is today, you will always be welcome here."

The two women hugged briefly. Francis wiped her eyes and straightened as someone knocked on the door. "Well, dear. Here you go."

The Mother Abbess stood and walked to the door. "Welcome Mr. Potter. Please come in."


	2. Chapter 2

Harry Potter was tired. He'd spent the better part of the last two years and a sizeable chunk of his fortune searching for his best friend. She'd gone missing shortly after they'd graduated from Hogwarts. Hermione Granger rarely did anything without reason, and no one could figure out what reason she would have for leaving the Wizarding world behind.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry and his friends spent some time resting. While the school was being rebuilt, they traveled to France and the United States. Anything to keep their minds off the last year of their lives. Harry, Hermione and Ron Weasley finally began to relax and let everything sink in. The Wizarding world of Britain was tattered. The Statute of Secrecy had been pushed to its limits and many muggles had reported seeing people using magic.

By the time the school was ready to re-open, Hermione was back in her old form. She was chomping at the bit to get back into her study mode. Harry and Ron knew better than to try and keep her from her books for too long. September 1st saw the trio climbing aboard the Express and headed North to Hogsmede.

Things returned to normal quickly when Harry and Ginny Weasley decided to break up and Ron became livid. Adding to his anger was Hermione's driven study schedule. She frequently blew off meeting the boys for meals and flat out refused to visit Hogsmede for dates with Ron. By Christmas, Ron had finally had enough and very loudly broken up with Hermione just as they were preparing for the last dinner before the break. Ron returned home for the holiday with Ginny and Harry remained at the school with Hermione.

Hermione disappeared into the library and was found on Christmas Eve by Madam Pince. She'd been skipping meals so often that she'd lost a lot of weight and had become so frail she couldn't keep herself awake. In the infirmary, Nurse Pomfrey said that Hermione had been hiding her emaciation behind glamor spells.

Harry was livid and afraid. Hermione was all he had left, and he was so scared that he would lose her. "Why," he asked.

"You know why," she replied. "I have to be better. Even with the changes at the Ministry, my chances of getting apposition there are low. What else am I going to do?"

"You can teach. Open a school for kids to learn basics before they get to Hogwarts. You can do independent research. You could go on and get your Muggle degree and work in that world. Or you could do nothing at all and travel with me."

Hermione laughed. "And how would that work?"

"I love you Hermione. I always have. I didn't know it then, but looking back… When you were petrified, I figured it out. I didn't try and date you because I was scared to lose you. And then I lost you to Ron." He ran his hand down his face and sighed. "I've been there trying to get you to spend time with people. Trying to get you to slow down. You're just so intense. God, Hermione. Just stop for a while."

Hermione looked at him with a sour expression. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Why? Because I almost lost you, that's why! Ron is off on his little pity party and Ginny and I have been done for a long while. She knew it. She saw it and it was her choice to break off our relationship. It was wrong. You and Ron were wrong for each other. But I loved you and I thought he was my brother. I wanted you both to be happy."

"I am miserable," said Hermione. "I can't get my parents back until I am out of Hogwarts. I need to be able to survive out there on my own when I leave. I must fix things. When I get back, I'll have to get work and somewhere to live…"

Harry put his hands on hers. "I can go with you. We'll get them back together. When we get back, you can live with me. If you don't want to live in Grimmauld, we can buy a new place. Then you can rest and decide what you want to do. Damnit Hermione. Why can't you just see?"

Hermione was crying. "I don't want to you to fix things. I don't want you to be the one who always must be the hero. You can't fix me or my life."

"Then I'll die trying. You cannot push me away." He hugged her as she fought feebly with him. Her sobs shaking her body and she seemed to finally give in.

The next few months were better. Hermione had put back on some of the weight she'd lost. She stopped using spells to hide her appearance and had even allowed Harry to restrict her study time. Ron had returned with a vengeance. He'd the entire holiday to stew and stoke his own fire. He refused to speak with Harry or Hermione unless he had to for a class. Ginny had warned them that he had been fuming the entire holiday.

Still, Easter passed, and Hermione was getting better. Harry was watching her but was careful to not hover. Ron had been seen with various witches ranging from 4th year to 7th and from every house, except of course Slytherin. When Romilda Vane came up pregnant, Ron was forced by Molly to leave the school to find a job. Lucky for him, George needed help at the store.

The rest of the year was quiet, and Harry and Hermione managed to get through their N.E.W.T.s without breaking down again. They moved into Grimmauld Place and began to prepare to travel to find her parents.

"Do we have everything we need," asked Hermione.

"Why are you asking me? You packed everything by yourself," said Harry.

Hermione smiled. "I know."

Just then there was a tapping at the window. "Looks like we've gotten some post from the Ministry," said Harry. He opened the window and took the scroll from the owl. Unrolling it, he began to laugh.

"What," asked Hermione.

"Your parents. They arrived back in England yesterday. I had asked Kingsley to have Aurors watching for them. Just in case. You did say you planted the thought that they wanted to visit Australia, not move there."

Hermione hugged him tightly. "Where are they? Does it say?"

"Yep. They are at home. Are you ready to face the music?"

The reunion was a little tense as her parents were more than a little upset at waking up one morning to find they had been in Australia for six months. Not to mention that they had been using the wrong names for the entire trip. Strangely, no one ever asked them why their documents didn't match the names they used. Just as strangely, the Grangers never questioned this either.

After several hours, the family calmed, and Harry excused himself. "You need this time. Come see me when you are done. I'll help you move your things back home." He'd apparated away before he could see the hurt in Hermione's eyes.

The next day, Hermione had arrived and removed her things without speaking to Harry. When he hadn't heard from her for a few days, he went to her parent's house. They told him that while she'd spent the night that first night, she'd left saying she had some things to take care of and would be back in a day or two.

A week turned into two. Harry had gotten the remains of Dumbledore's Army together to help search for her. Seamus was the first to bow out after three weeks. Followed by Dean and the Patils. Soon it was just Harry, Ginny and Neville. After a year, only Harry was still searching. He'd asked Kingsley for help and had been granted some trainees to help, but they were recalled after a couple of months.

Harry had gone and made amends with the goblins so that he could access his money. It cost him half of the Black fortune to get back to his vault. Luckily, since he was now legally an adult, his school vault was rolled into the family vault. There wasn't a lot left there either. Apparently, Minister Fudge had used a little-known law to take half the Potter gold and all the land before he'd been removed. Harry didn't really care. He just wanted Hermione back.

Most nights, he sat with Crookshanks on the couch in Grimmauld. Simply staring at the fireplace, as if that act alone would bring Hermione spinning out of the flames. He stopped talking to everyone. He blocked all his old friends from visiting and had set new wards on the house to keep it hidden. When he wasn't spending the days searching, he was on an abandoned moor practicing spells or at a gym in Surrey exercising. He knew that he had to stay in good health for Hermione. He was certain she would need him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Harry," said Kingsley. "It has been two years. No one has seen anything. I've had the trainees spending time watching muggle reports as part of their training. Even though it has helped us by getting them used to reading the terminology and some of the procedures… Look, I'm sorry. I miss Hermione too. But there just isn't any need to keep searching. Point me doesn't work. Owls can't find her, and we even had a seer try to scry for her. She's either under some sort of hiding spell like the Fidelius, she's out of the country, or she's simply..."

"I refuse to believe he's dead," said Harry. "I'll accept the possibility of the other two, but not death. I think I'd feel that."

Kingsley nodded. "Ok. Do you need anything else?"

"Can you get me a list of law enforcement officers I can talk to without violating the secrecy act? Maybe I can start it all over myself."

Kingsley sighed, "Sure. I'll have it owled over this afternoon."

"Thanks, Shack."

"Anytime Harry."

break

Harry flooed back to Grimmauld and stood in the gloomy parlor. Crookshanks rubbed against his legs and purred. "I know Crook. I miss her too." He picked up the half-kneazle and moved to the sofa. He sat there wondering what to do next, when there was a knock at the door.

Harry had long since given out the location to his classmates and friends, so he was not surprised to see Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass waiting on the top steps. "Hullo ladies. Come on in."

Once they were inside, Harry offered them drink but they begged off. "Harry," said Susan. "I know we all kinda went of to do our own things, but I've been collecting things about found persons from across the Northern Hemisphere. Daphne and I have been working on putting things together, and we think we may have something."

Daphne smiled at Susan. "We found a woman down on the South coast that fits Hermione's description. She was found not long after Hermione disappeared and has been living in a convent since she woke up from a short coma."

"We have a contact in the local constable's office that is a squib and she is certain that this woman is Hermione," said Susan. "She has no memory of who she is or where she is from."

Harry sagged in on himself. "West Sussex?"

"Yeah," said Daphne.

"How did you know," asked Susan.

"We looked there last fall. No one would talk to me and the police were less than forthcoming."

Susan smiled. "She's new. She used to be part of the Youth Cabinet. She saw your flyer and got her sister to contact me. Her name is Lisa Sawley. Lynette went to school with us and apparently had a huge crush."

"Who didn't," mumbled Daphne.

"I remember Lynette. She was a couple of years back wasn't she?"

"Graduates this year," said Susan. "Says that her mum loved the potion. Anyway, she says that Lisa will be glad to speak with you and pass on any info they have."

"Thanks, girls. I appreciate it. I'll head down in the morning. I'm too knackered to do much more today. Kingsley just told me that he was pulling everyone off the case."

"That's why we came on over," said Daphne.

"If there is anything, I can do for you, let me know."

Daphne blushed a little. "If this is a wild goose chase, just come find us. We need to talk. There are some secrets that bear being revealed, and it is far past the time to do so."

Looking confused, Harry just nodded and saw the girls to the door. He went to bed with thousands of thoughts in his head, and none of them were even close to the truths he would find over the next week.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry woke with a sore neck. His bed covers had been thrown to the floor and his pillow had ended up under his left foot. He knew, deep down, that today would not be a good day. He slowly made his way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

"Wotcher," said Tonks. She was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. "Nice boxers. You ever tried briefs? They show everything. Guy your size..."

"You aren't here," said Harry. "I'm still not sure why you and Sirius keep popping up like you do. After all, neither of you left a ghost behind. I've talked with various healers and even some muggle shrinks, and they all say you are a figment of my imagination."

"But what a good-looking pair of figments we are, huh," asked Sirius as he materialized behind Harry. "We _are_ figments, Harry. We are nothing more than constructs your brain created to deal with stress. We are parts of your psyche that you associate with the traits of the real Sirius and Tonks."

"But," said Harry. "Figments don't leave behind half-drunken cups of coffee and crumbs from toast. Am I doing those things and putting the actions on you?"

"Yes," replied Tonks. "You are the one doing these things, your mind says it is us. That is why you can never remember drinking your morning coffee. Welcome to crazy, luv."

"Wonderful," said Harry. "I'm gonna shower."

"I'm gonna peek while you do," said Tonks with a leer.

Harry walked out and felt his way through the dark hallways and back up the stairs to his room. He'd been seeing Tonks and Sirius since he'd returned to Hogwarts after his travels with Hermione. It had all started while in the prefect's bathroom. He'd stepped out of the shower to see Sirius leaning against the far wall admiring the stained-glass mermaid. Sirius had waved and disappeared. A few weeks later, he'd been in the quidditch locker room and heard Tonks making comments about his physique. He turned to see her standing there in the middle of the changing area. She was pointedly staring at his boxers. Thus, began the nearly daily comments about his choice of underwear.

Harry had weathered it and taken it in stride for a few months. After the last falling out with Hermione over her parents, the specters had become more insistent that he was doing something wrong. Sirius kept saying that Harry wasn't spending enough time searching. Tonks would chide him if he didn't take enough time off to rest and take care of other needs.

Harry shook his head as the shower turned itself on. After a year of living here alone, the house had begun to do things for him. Doors would open as he approached the room he wanted to enter. Taps would turn on when he was ready to shower or get water for tea or coffee. Lights would turn on or off depending on his needs. He'd asked Neville about it and gotten a very strange look. That wasn't normal. Everyone agreed. He'd gotten Bill to check the house and, outside of the questionable décor and decidedly dark wards, there wasn't anything going on. He'd gotten Susan and Daphne to stay one night to see if they noticed anything. The house wouldn't react to them, but they had seen the house respond to his unspoken wishes. "Just another something that only works for Harry Potter," said Susan.

Harry took his shower as he mentally reviewed the previous interactions with the West Sussex police. He had visited every station in the county. Hermione's parents lived in Crawley, so he'd figured he would start there. They had been very leery of talking to him when he said he was just a friend and not a family member. By the time he'd stopped in the eighth police station, word had gotten around that no one was to talk to him unless orders came from the Chief, bypassing all the other levels of command by going all the way to the top.

Something had bothered Harry about that, but he had moved on to try and eliminate other locations. At some point, he'd simply forgotten that he'd felt something was off. He decided that he needed to make a stop before going to the meeting with Lisa.

Harry dressed in his best muggle suit. It was bespoke, purchased from Norton & Sons on Saville Row. It was a single-breasted ensemble, done in olive wool with a simple white shirt and black and olive checked tie. He'd finally learned to use muggle pomade to control his hair and the light scruff on his face was no longer considered to look unclean. He couldn't recall the apparition point near Arundel, so he apparated to Harbour Park, the amusement park in the nearby coastal town of Littlehampton.

One of the places Hermione had taken him while they traveled was the park. It was his first ever visit to an amusement park. He'd spent the entire afternoon running from one thing to another and back again, pulling Hermione along behind him.

* * *

Arriving in an alley behind a nearby restaurant, Harry quickly made his way out to South Terrace. He used a nearby payphone to call for a cab to meet him. He got an odd look when he said he needed to go to the Arundel Police Station.

The station was a small, one story building with a short brick wall out front. Harry paid the driver and said he'd make his own way after his meeting. He walked into the building and asked to meet with Lisa.

"May I please speak with Lisa Sawley?"

"And what may I ask is your reason for speaking with her," asked a bored looking desk attendant. "She's rather busy filling out reports."

"She and I have a scheduled appointment. She is expecting me. The name is Harry Potter."

"Potter? You the nutter that was asking questions a couple of years ago? Ain't no one here supposed to talk with you."

"Be that as it may, I have an appointment. I'd be most put out if I've made this long trek from London for naught. Please let Miss Sawley know I am here. If you wish to contact your Chief Constable, please feel free to do so. I will have some questions for him later anyway. Especially if the corruption goes as far as I think it does."

Harry let her think a moment and when his implications of being an investigator sunk in, her whole aspect changed. Making the call she became very quiet and refused to look Harry in the eye.

A door opened to Harry's right and a young blonde stepped out. "Mr. Potter," she asked, sticking out her hand. "Nice to finally meet you. I'm Constable Sawley. Welcome to Arundel. I hope your trip was pleasant?"

Harry shook her hand and said, "It was very nice actually. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. I understand you think there may be something new for my investigation?" He glanced over at the attendant.

Lisa took in the glance and followed along. "Yes sir. Come this way, I've got some photos to show you."

As they stepped through the door and into the adjoining hall, Lisa turned and asked, "What the hell was that?"

Harry smirked. "I may have, implied, that I was here to investigate corruption. In a sense I am. If Hermione is here, I think I may have a real case for my people to investigate." He drew closer and talked a little lower, "I think you have a wizard in your chain of command, and they have covered something up. Hermione may have been a target, or just an unlucky victim. The last time I was in this area asking questions, I felt something was wrong, but my suspicions went away far too quickly. I didn't realize that until this morning."

"You'd be right. There is a Chief Superintendent that attended Durmstrang, working at the main office. I've seen him using his wand to clean up his coffee spills. I asked about his odd accent once and he said he'd spent seven years in school in Norway."

"As the saying goes, the plot thickens. So, what do you have for me?"

"I have some photos of a young woman living at a convent not far from here. She'd been found by the sisters and taken in when no one could figure out who she was. Her information and photo were supposedly sent all over the country. I don't think it made it past the Chief's office."

Harry nearly passed out when the photos were placed in front of him. "That's Hermione."


	5. Chapter 5

Harry sat in disbelief, staring at the photo in his hands. "That's her. I can't believe it. Where?"

Lisa smiled. "About 15 minutes from here on foot. I can take you or just give you directions. She's living at Poor Clares, the convent just down the road. The sisters found her on the beach one day. She was in a coma for three weeks. The official report is that her photo and prints were sent out. We know now that isn't what happened. Physically, she's fine. She has no idea who she is, and they've named her Francis Arundel."

Harry looked up at Lisa. "She's safe. That is what matters. Before I see her, I want to take care of the issue that put her there. Can you arrange a meeting with this Chief Superintendent? Maybe something accidental? Or should I handle the meeting through our Ministry?"

"It would be better for my career if you did it. I'd love to set the fucker up, but I can't take the chance of losing what I have here. I've got bills to pay."

Harry nodded. Standing up from the chair he didn't remember sitting in, "I'll let you know when we are going to move. For now, just point me in the direction and I'll start looking around. Maybe I can raise enough suspicion that he will make a mistake. What is his name?"

"William Macnair."

Harry was shocked. "Macnair? Really? I wonder how he's related to Walden Macnair? Still, that gives me enough to get the DMLE involved." Harry reached out and took Lisa's hands. "Thank you so much for this. I'll let you know when we move and when I go to visit."

"When you do go to get her, ask for the Mother Abbess. Her name is Maria. She will help you."

Harry nodded again and looked around. "Let's just tell them I left by the back door?" He winked and apparated to the rear stoop at Grimmauld Place.

* * *

"Susan," called Harry from the floo. "Can I come through?"

"Sure, Harry. I'm decent enough."

Harry stepped out of the green flames carefully. He looked around the sitting room and spied Susan, sitting on an old chintz sofa. She was wearing a housecoat, and from the amount of skin peeking around the edges, not a whole lot more.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Susan blushed prettily. "I was just getting ready for my bath. I was working in the garden and got rather messy. What can I do for you?"

Harry caught the intended double meaning and looked at the floor. "I found her. Lisa was right, she's in Arundel, living at the convent."

"You didn't go get her?"

"There is a wizard in the police force. He's a Macnair. I'm certain he's involved."

"What do we need to do," asked Susan.

"Since she is safe, I am going to let myself be seen walking by the convent several times over a few weeks. I'll get with Kingsley about opening the investigation into Macnair. I want him eliminated before I move to bring her home."

Susan stood and hugged Harry. Her house coat fell open, revealing her nude body underneath. "No matter what, Harry. I will be here for you. So will Daphne. If you need us to help Hermione ease back into things, we'll help. I want her back too."

Harry blushed at the feel of her skin against his hands. It had been far too long since he'd any type of intimate contact with a woman. Susan and Daphne had long ago declared they were both a "witch's witch", but both had made it clear that Harry was the one exception. More than once, he'd been tempted and even with the prospect of getting Hermione back just on the horizon, he felt a stirring in his guts.

He pulled away. "Thank you, Susan. What Hermione does will be her choice. If she wants to take you up on your offer, I'll be more than happy to join you. For now, I need my focus to remain sharp."

Susan chuckled. "If your focus were any sharper luv, we'd have been dead long ago." She drew her robe closed and looked at the clock on the mantle. "Go see Kingsley. He should be about ready to finish up the afternoon meetings. You might catch him before he leaves for the night. Give us a ring, sooner than later."

Harry threw powder into the fire and traveled to the Ministry atrium.

* * *

Stepping from the fire, Harry quickly made his way through the crowded atrium to the security station. Waiting in line as the clearly bored guard was slowly checking people's wands, Harry became antsy.

"Next," said the guard. "Please present your wand for examination."

Harry handed over his wand and waited as the guard cast various spells to ascertain the last few spells cast by the user. It seemed to be taking longer than necessary. "Is there a problem?"

The guard looked at Harry and said, "I'm to hold you here until an escort arrives."

"Why?"

"No idea. Don't care either. Your face popped up on a flyer this morning with a warning to detain you until Aurors could escort you. Sounds like you've pissed in someone's porridge."

Harry began looking around slowly. He recognized Senior Auror Proudfoot coming through the crowd. "Proudfoot, what the hell is going on?"

"No idea, Harry. Orders came from the Senior Undersecretary himself. I'll need you to come with us and wear these control cuffs. I'm sorry, Harry."

Nodding, Harry put out his hands and allowed Proudfoot to lock in the cuffs to suppress his magic. "Make sure my wand comes with us, huh? Don't want someone using it to incriminate me."

Proudfoot took the wand and led Harry along with five other aurors to the nearest lift. Auror Savage stood next to Harry and asked, "What did you do kid? Robards was screaming about you all morning. Wanted to know who had seen you and who you'd gotten information from."

Harry began to wonder just how far reaching the corruption of Macnair was. "Dunno, Savage. But I'm guessing we're all about to find out. You lot do know these cuffs don't work on me, right? Kingsley taught mt the trick himself."

Proudfoot turned and smiled. "We know. We're on your side no matter what happens here. I think you've accidentally stepped into one royal clusterfuck and someone needs a scapegoat. I'm betting Dawlish is involved in something he shouldn't be." Harry had long wondered why Kingsley had appointed Dawlish to the Senior Undersecretary position.

As the lift doors opened, all activity in the bullpen of the auror department ceased. Aurors that Harry had fought alongside at Hogwarts looked on in disbelief. Savage followed the gaze of Harry as he looked around the room. "It's a fucking perp walk. That arsehole is trying to discredit Harry."

Proudfoot nodded and secretly motioned for Williamson and Berrycloth to take up positions flanking Harry. As they approached the office belonging to Head Auror Robards, the door opened revealing Robards and Dawlish.

Robards paled slightly at the gaze from Harry. Dawlish apparently had no fear of Harry, thinking the cuffs would provide him with any protection needed. "Well, Mr. Potter," said the Undersecretary. "Come to confess?"

"Confess to what? I came for an audience with the Minister," said Harry as he slowly worked the cuffs loose from his wrists. "Maybe we need to see him before anything happens that we can't take back."

"Oh, come now, Potter," spat Dawlish. "The minister isn't here. I'm in charge. You are officially charged with breaking the statute of secrecy, using the Imperious on a muggle, using a Confundus on another muggle, harassment of a muggle government office and unlicensed apparition in front of a muggle."

Harry's smile did not reach his eyes and those around him knew the wrong thing had just happened. Aurors were quietly palming their wands and preparing for a potential battle. Robards slowly eased back through the open door of his office as his aurors began to choose sides.

Dawlish looked at Harry expecting an answer. What he got, was obviously not what he'd hoped or expected. Harry tossed the cuffs to him and took his wand from Proudfoot's pocket.

"Senior Undersecretary Dawlish, you are under arrest for sedition, your involvement in the attack on the witch, Hermione Granger, and conspiring with a dark wizard," Harry stated as he pointed his wand at Dawlish.

"Please," drawled Dawlish. "You have no arrest powers."

"No," came the voice of the Minister from around the corner. "He doesn't. But he has long been given leeway due to his uncanny ability to get into trouble. Proudfoot, Savage, get Mr. Dawlish to a less than comfortable holding cell. Keep the suppression cuffs on him."

The two aurors took the soon to be former Undersecretary away. Harry looked relieved. "You got here at the right time."

"Susan sent me an owl to expect you," Kingsley said with a small grin. "I knew he was corrupt, I just needed to figure out how bad it was."

Harry nodded. "I think either he or William Macnair attacked Hermione. She had said she needed to take care of something when she left. When I began poking around near her parent's hometown, an order came down for the local constabulary to stop talking to me unless the Chief said otherwise. That would be Macnair. I'm betting, he's a cousin or bother of Walden."

"William Macnair was a failed auror. He and Dawlish came through training at the same time. Two classes behind me. He's also a sadistic bastard. I wonder what other crimes have been covered up? Let's get you on the payroll officially and get your paperwork forced through. I think making you a Detective Superintendent in the NCA will work wonders to getting your arrest."

"You were just itching to get me fitted for an auror badge, weren't you?"

"Who? Me? Harry, you know as well as I do that you are a magnet for trouble. I know you don't go looking for it, it just seems to find you. But you must admit, you are good at what you do. Even without any formal training."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Harry was armed with both an auror badge and the badge and identification of a Detective Superintendent of National Crime Agency's Missing Persons Bureau. He'd also taken a crash course in handling a sidearm. Naturally, all sidearms issued to aurors were spelled to never miss or run out of ammunition.

He set out to start his investigation in and around West Sussex. His full intent was to be seen by the local police and have reports go back to Macnair. He walked past the convent several times a week. He ate in various locations during each trip. He showed off the picture of Hermione and asked questions in every town except Arundel. He wanted Macnair to be nervous.


	6. Chapter 6

For three weeks, Harry had traveled throughout the County of Sussex. He visited every town with a police station and made certain he was seen while asking questions. He had tasked Winky, the house elf, with acting as a warning system incase someone acted against Hermione. His regular reports back to the Ministry kept the aurors updated on his actions.

Things finally came to a head when Kingsley floo called Harry with new information. "Other witches have gone missing after being in that area. They were missed on an information sweep because they were all from other countries. We were only clued in last night when an American auror captain contacted us. They raided a compound with a dozen witches from other countries. Most were drugged others obliviated. Those who could be helped, recalled where they were kidnapped. Three from West Sussex."

"Do you need anything else from me to make a move," asked Harry.

"Robards is taking a back seat and will be replaced at his request. I'm appointing Savage in his place. You will report to him in name only. You can call for help as needed. I would recommend stopping in to see him before you start."

"Thanks, Shack. I'll be by once I'm awake."

"Good hunting, Harry. We all want her back."

* * *

Upon arrival at the auror bullpen, Harry was greeted with whistles and cat calls. He grinned and moved on the Head's office. "Nice digs, Savage. You have any more info than what shack gave me?"

"I do. We got a confession from Dawlish about an hour ago. He admitted that Macnair called him with a problem he needed to clean up. He'd targeted Hermione because she was looking for missing witches. They ambushed her, obliviated her and tossed her into the sea as a precaution. It wasn't until later that Dawlish found her notebook that had been dropped. She had been looking for a neighbor that she had memory charmed like her parents. Another muggle. Macnair over reacted and Dawlish saw it as a chance to hurt you."

"And the whole muggle side of the cover up?"

"Apparently, it was all Macnair. He's been running a trafficking ring for years. Drugs and girls. But with his magic he was able to cover it up. What do you want from us?"

"A team of no more than four. They must be accustomed to muggle interaction. Communication stones or mirrors. Finally, I want his home address. Once we have him, I plan on raiding it and cleaning everything out that we can use to nail him on both sides of the fence. I want his magic bound and then have him charged as a muggle."

Savage grinned. He had always like Harry, but this was a side no one had expected to see. "Rather Slytherin of you."

"The hat wanted me there. Malfoy colored my perception of the Slytherins, and I insisted on being a lion. I think it worked out all right."

"Too right," said Savage. Handing him a mirror, "Tonks brought that design to us after Black died. We couldn't crack the spells until after the last battle. Only fitting you get to use it first. Proudfoot will be your primary. You call him when you are set and ready."

"Thanks." Harry looked wistfully at the mirror.

"Cor! We could have used those," said Harry's apparition of Tonks as he walked out of the office.

* * *

Harry waited until he was alone back on the street outside the Leaky Cauldron. "Tonks, I know you aren't real. I need you and Sirius to leave for good. I can't do this with you two popping up. I can't handle the distraction. She's too important and I need to take this one down."

Sirius faded into view. "If you do this, you can't go back. You'll always be looking over your shoulder and seeing bogeymen out of the corner of your eye."

"That's why I need Hermione back. I'm sorry. I need to do this one alone."

"We get it, luv," said an almost translucent Tonks. "It was always up to you. We were your coping tool. Bring our girl back." Tonks faded from view and seemed to trip over the curb as she did.

Sirius looked apprehensive. "This is twice you'll lose me. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I loved you, you know? You were my dad, uncle and big brother all rolled into one even though our time was so short. I'm gonna miss you."

Sirius let out his barking laugh and turned around as an attractive young woman walked by. "See ya kiddo. My, she is fit isn't she," he asked as he faded from view.

* * *

Harry took the Knight Bus to Horsham, where Macnair's office was located. After locating the building, he disillusioned himself and made a quick circuit so he could get an idea of where to look. Once he was sure of which office he needed to enter, he called Proudfoot.

"You ready Harry?"

"Yeah. You know where the building is?"

"Got it on the map. We can be there in three."

"Then we are on mission."

Harry waited until he heard the pops of apparition. Spotting Proudfoot, he waved the team over. "You have more time doing this than I do. What do you advise," he asked Proudfoot.

"You go in under the guise of being from the NCA looking for a missing girl. Get the muggles stirred up. Use the mirror like a cell phone and call us to come in saying you aren't getting cooperation. We'll move in and start things rolling. You pull out a warrant to search records and ask the pretty blonde girl to pull all the missing persons cases. Then while everyone is busy, you and I will go to Macnair's office and arrest him."

"Think he'll fight," asked Harry.

"If he does, shoot him with your sidearm."

Harry smiled and nodded. "I'm off."

He followed the plan precisely. He'd gone in, flashed his ID and told them what he was there for and that he had a warrant to take all the records he needed. When the police balked, he made the call.

Proudfoot and his team were quick and methodical. They walked in, identified themselves as NCA and began walking among the desks. "What do you need, boss?"

Harry smiled again, "You and I are going to see the Superintendent. The rest of the team can watch this lot as they get the records." He turned to the young file clerk. "Miss? I'm putting you in charge of your constables. You are to make sure they turn over everything they have on missing persons cases."

The clerk smiled. "My name is Abbey Chase, Detective Potter. I'll be more than happy to help you."

Harry nodded to her and, acting like he didn't know where he was going, pointed down the hall, "This way?"

"Yes sir," she replied.

As they walked, Proudfoot whispered to Harry, "What is it with you and the birds?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm clueless with girls. It took me forever to tell Hermione how I felt."

Proudfoot opened the door to the office. "Superintendent Macnair?"

Macnair wasn't paying attention. He had headphones on and was watching something on a small television. He was completely oblivious until the door had been closed, and Harry unplugged the TV.

Macnair's head popped up and he snatched the headset off. "What the bloody hell do you think… Oh. Potter. So, what do you want? Come to take me in?"

"Actually, I'm hoping you put up a fight. But I'll settle for just arresting you."

"They gave you a badge?"

Proudfoot looked at him and smiled. "And a team. He's the boss."

Macnair swallowed and his Adam's apple bounced up and down. "You know they won't do anything to me. I'm a pureblood. The Dark Lord might be gone, but we still control things. The Geezergamot won't convict me for anything done to muggles."

"Maybe not. But you've been taking witches and selling muggle drugs to those in our community. That doesn't sit well. The mistake you made was attacking Hermione Granger."

"Ah, the nosey one. The mudblood wasn't any better than a muggle."

"Wrong tense," said Harry.

"What," asked Macnair, clearly confused.

"She survived. And Dawlish outed you. The Minister wants this done. So, you can come quietly, or we can take you. You already know which way we want it to go. It's your choice."

Macnair smiled, "You think you can take me? Just the two of you?"

Harry smiled back, "I took Voldemort down. Man to, well, half man. You think you're better than he was?" Harry placed his hand on the pistol on his belt. He spoke up loud enough for those outside the office to hear, "William Macnair, you are under arrest for human trafficking, drug trafficking and sales, assault and battery and attempted murder. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?"

"Fuck you," said Macnair as he lunged for Harry. Harry had already unholstered his pistol and brought it up across the side of Macnair's face, sending the older man sprawling on the floor.

Harry dropped to the floor with him placed his knee across the man's throat. "Let's add resisting arrest to those charges."

After he holstered his gun, Harry turned Macnair over and pulled his arms behind his back. Proudfoot locked on a set of cuffs that looked like muggle issued manacles, but were, magic suppressors.

As Harry and Proudfoot led the corrupt man from the building, Abbey Chase walked up. "You beat me to it."

Harry looked at her questioningly.

"I work for DG Enterprises. You know, Danger Girl. We do this kind of stuff too."

Proudfoot spoke up, "Potter is newly promoted. He hasn't had any run-ins with your team. Don't you girls normally handle spy stuff?"

"We do. But this case hit close to home. We did this one for free."

"Sorry, Miss Chase. I suppose we owe you dinner then, don't we," asked Harry. "Detective Proudfoot? Would you please take of Miss Chase? I'm afraid I already have a date planned."

Proudfoot smiled. "I'd be delighted. Miss Chase, if you'd come with me, we can talk it over."

As they walked away, one of the other aurors commented, "Damn. That was smooth."

* * *

Harry apparated with Macnair directly to the holding cell next to the one being occupied by Dawlish. "I brought you some company."

Harry quickly stepped out of the cell as the jailor closed and locked the door. "If you had just left her alone, Macnair."

"They won't do anything to me. I haven't broken any written wizarding laws."

Harry shook his head. "No. But you did break a lot of those from the muggle world. Once your magic is bound and you've been obliviated of everything having to do with magic, you'll be turned over to the NCA. Then you'll face the Queen's justice. We have more than enough for them to convict you. Good day."


	7. Chapter 7

A week had passed since the arrest of Macnair. Harry and his new team had cleaned out the man's home and office looking for any incriminating evidence. What they found was nothing short of astonishing.

Harry looked over his list before speaking. "Minister, we have more than we bargained for here. Macnair wasn't just involved in trafficking of witches and drugs, but of muggle women as well. The idiot kept a log of all the women and who he'd sold them to. Same with the drugs. Looks like he was also paying off some judges and prosecutors." Harry took a drink of water before continuing, "He also had a list of Death Eaters and their supporters that are still active in the UK and the mainland. By my estimates, we can use this information to close nearly three dozen open cases. Including one that has been open since the early 80s."

Kingsley sat back in his chair and sighed. "How much can we tie him to in the muggle system?"

"If they can convict him? He'll get life in the UK. Spain, France, and Portugal will also want some blood from him. We have enough to warrant taking his memories and magic."

"Damn good job. I was beginning to worry about you. I thought I'd given you too much leeway by giving you so long to search for Hermione. I even had others tell me I had gone too far. I'm glad to see my faith wasn't misplaced. So, now what?"

Harry grinned, "Now I go visit Hermione and try to giver her life back to her."

"If she doesn't want it?"

"I'll have to either let her go or try to get to know the new Hermione."

"I don't relish being in your shoes, Harry. Good luck."

Harry nodded and turned to leave the office. "Shack?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for everything. I'll keep you more in the loop from now on."

* * *

Harry found himself standing outside the convent that Hermione had been living in for two years. He was having a hard time not rushing the building and shouting for Hermione. As it was, he found himself standing before two heavy wooden doors with iron hinges. Inset on the right door was a square door viewer with an iron guard. A small sign asking visitors to knock loudly also adorned this door.

He had knocked. And waited. It had seemed like an eternity had passed, when an older nun had opened the viewer. "May I help you sir?"

Harry swallowed and held up a picture. "My name is Harry Potter. I am with the NCA's Missing Persons Bureau. I am searching for this young woman and my contact at the local police office, Constable Lisa Sawley, told me she might be here. I understand she may have lost her memories of who she was or, is."

The elderly nun looked at the photo carefully, "I do believe that young woman is our dear Francis. She came to us two years ago with no memories. Why are you just now coming around? Her image and fingerprints were circulated when she was found."

"There was a cover up. The Superintendent was involved, and he suppressed all information and even blocked my investigation for a time. It wasn't until Miss Sawley contacted a friend of mine that the dots were connected. We had to make our case against the Superintendent before I could come to see you about your Francis."

The sister closed the viewer door and opened the main door. "You understand, Detective Potter, we cannot allow you meet her alone? We have very strict rules about men in a convent."

"Yes, ma'am. I was hoping you could arrange for me to meet her in the garden or some other open area. I do not wish for her to feel threatened or to insult your order. I just want to reunite her with family and friends and hopefully allow her to get her memories back."

"And if she doesn't wish to see you or wishes to remain after you meet with her?"

"That is entirely her choice, ma'am."

"I am Sister Anne. I count Francis as a very good friend. She has been a blessing to us and none of us want to see her harmed." Looking at the photo Harry was still holding, she said, "If you'll hand me the photo, I'll speak with her and the Mother Abbess."

"Thank you, Sister Anne." Harry handed her the photo carefully.

Sister Anne paid notice of this. "You knew her, didn't you? How well?"

Harry blushed a bit. "We became friends at school. I was eleven and she was twelve. We were the best of friends. Later she and I traveled together. She even lived with me in the house I inherited." Harry coughed, "Separate rooms of course."

With a raised eyebrow, Sister Anne asked, "Your choice or hers?"

"Both. I didn't want to chase her away. I had kept her at arms-length for so long, to protect her, that I didn't want to try for a closer relationship once it was safer. I loved her for so long and never told her. I nearly died when she went missing. I realized that she was my conscience and without her, I was far too willing to throw myself into danger."

Sister Anne smiled. "I know who you are Mr. Potter. You know that sisters often take on new names to represent the change away from the world? Anne was not my birth name, and I am not totally ignorant of your history. I changed your nappies a few times as well."

Harry's face ran through several emotions before he prepared to draw his wand. "If you know of me, how do you not know about Hermione?"

"Oh, I knew the name, just not what she looked like. I was born Marlene McKinnon. I was a good friend to your mother and once… Well, that part is better left unsaid. I was supposed to be there when you were born. Just before your parents were killed, my family was wiped out. I almost died that night. I was too scared to call for help and I ran. I hid in Wales until it was over, and you had won... and lost. I hid in a barn until the farmer and his wife took me in and helped me heal. A few years later, I ended up here. I had renounced that life and taken my vow to serve God. I heard nothing else of that world until he escaped and then that he had died. I couldn't believe it."

"You're Sirius' Marlene?"

"Not _his_," she spat. "He turned on us…"

"No, he didn't," Harry cut her off. "It was Pettigrew. Sirius was innocent. Losing my parents and then going to prison… It broke him. Even though he escaped and even helped me several times, he would never be the man you knew. I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you in any way."

Sister Anne was crying. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Pettigrew admitted it to me, Hermione, Sirius and Remus."

Covering her mouth, Sister Anne sobbed. "Mooney? Is he?"

Harry nodded, "Gone in the final battle with his wife, Nymphadora Tonks."

Sister Anne smiled at that. "She hated that name."

For the next thirty minutes they sat on the front step and talked about what had happened to those she knew. She thanked Harry and asked if she could write to him from time to time. "I may have moved on from that life, but there is no reason for me to stay away now. My faith is strong enough that I can trust in God to keep me from returning."

Harry agreed and gave her the postal address he used in the muggle world. He stood and thanked her for her time and asked if he could return later after she'd had time to talk to the Mother Abbess and Hermione.

Sister Anne agreed to ask. "Give me a few hours."

* * *

Once Harry had left, Sister Anne returned to her room. She stared at an old photo of her family and then at another of the Order of the Phoenix. Running her fingers over the images of Sirius and the Potters, she smiled through her tears. Years of being away from magic had stilled the photos. Harry's arrival seemed to have given them some small charge of life. She resolved to do what she could to help him and his love.

She walked out of the main building across the parking lot to the small cottage used by visitors. She quietly stepped inside and spied the young woman she had come for.

"Francis, I need to speak with you," said Sister Anne.

"Yes, sister?"


	8. Chapter 8

Sister Anne left the cottage that had been home to Francis Arundel, who was actually Hermione Granger, and returned to Abbey. As she entered, she ran into the Mother Abbess. Startled, she put her hand to her mouth before saying, "Oh! Mother Sofia. I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to be out of your prayers so soon."

The Mother Abbess smiled kindly. "You had a gentleman caller."

Slightly scandalized, Anne shook her head. "He is a detective looking for a missing young woman. The photo he gave me proves that he is looking for Francis. I've just come from talking to her about it. I had planned on letting you know before he returned. He wishes to see if he can help her recover her memories."

"I see. How does Francis feel about this?"

"She was ecstatic. She wants the chance to regain some or all of what she lost."

Mother Sofia motioned for Anne to follow her, and they left the main hall. After walking just a few feet they turned to enter the Mother's office. "Please sit down, Sister Anne. We need to speak about something very important. I may have inadvertently overheard some of your conversation."

Anne paled. "Just how much?"

The Mother smiled again. "Not much more than I already knew. It confirmed that there is still a very strong population of magic users in England. That is something the Church has been kept in the dark about for the last few decades. It might surprise you to know that my own nonna was a witch. We are from Trento, Italy originally. I already knew your background."

"What will you do with this confirmation?"

"Nothing. Young Mr. Potter and his Hermione are heroes and as such deserve our respect. The Church no longer sees those using magic as evil or in need of purification. I will do what I need to do, to reunite those two young people._ If_, that it what they wish. I do not want either of them to be hurt more than they already are."

"Neither do I Mother Sofia. I have come to regard Francis as my real sister and knowing that Harry grew into such a fine young man warms my heart. His mother and I were fast friends. Sirius and I… well that is another story best left alone."

"Nonsense," said Mother Sofia. "Loving someone is not wrong. Even though you have taken your vows, remembering the love you once had is not forbidden. It should be cherished, and you should hold on to that. It will allow you to be more open when listening to those you will counsel in the future. None of us are perfect. We all fall short of His glory. It is the fact that we wake every day and struggle through the world to try and reach that perfection that makes us stronger." She poured a small glass of water and drank from it. "You will meet with Mr. Potter when he returns. I will precede you into Francis' cottage and the two of us will sit in whilst they reconnect. Perhaps our prayers will assist in her recovery?"

"Perhaps," agreed Anne. "Thank you, Mother Sofia. I will await Harry's return."

"Maybe, Sister, you should take a short sabbatical when this is over and return to your old world? I feel there is more that you need to let go of than even you realize."

* * *

Harry returned to Poor Clares as promised just a few hours later. He was met at the door by Sister Anne. "Good afternoon, Sister Anne. Is she willing to see me?"

"Yes, she is. Mother Sofia has just gone over to meet with her, and they are expecting us. She already knows about our backgrounds and is from a magical family herself."

Harry relaxed a bit. "Good. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to break the Statute to get this done. How did she react?"

"She was excited. Follow me." Sister Anne led Harry across the lot to the cottage and knocked on the door. Harry was very nervous and beginning to worry.

"Welcome Mr. Potter. Please come in," said an older woman as the door opened. "My name is Mother Sofia. Thank you for your diligence in searching for our dear Francis, or is it Hermione?"

Harry nodded. "Her birth name is Hermione. Yes. Although, Francis is lovely as well." He grinned as Mother Sofia stepped aside and he saw Hermione for the first time. Her hair was longer that it had ever been and the weight of it kept it from being too bushy. Her maroon and gold dress was amazing and made her even more beautiful to Harry.

Sister Anne followed him and closed the door behind them. When Harry looked at her questioningly, Mother Sofia spoke up. "We have a policy that no males are allowed to meet privately with a sister or one of our guests. I do hope you understand."

"Of course. For everyone's protection, physical and otherwise."

"Exactly. Mr. Potter, this is our Francis Arundel. Francis, this is Harry Potter. I do hope that this meeting will be fruitful and that everyone will get what God intends us to get. Sister Anne and I will adjourn to the nook. The two of you can sit out here in the living area."

Understanding that it wasn't a request, Harry nodded. He motioned for Francis/Hermione to go first. As she sat on the loveseat, he sat across from her in a straight-backed chair. The nuns moved to the eating nook and kept them in sight.

Harry pulled out another copy of the photo of Hermione. "This is what you looked like the last time I saw you. It has been quite a while. I'm sorry, I've never been the most tactful of people."

"It's quite all right. You say you knew me… before all of this?"

"Yes. You and I attended the same school. We were both eleven when we started, but your birthday is on September 19th and mine is July 31st. We were in almost all the same classes together and our school was divided into four houses. You and I were in the same house."

"What was the name of the school?"

"Well… This where things get weird. Please just bear with me as I explain the whole thing." Francis/Hermione nodded for him to keep going. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Do you mean magic done by illusionists like David Copperfield? Or do you mean magic as that done by witches?"

"The latter."

"No. I don't. Slight of hand and misdirection can be explained. I have never seen anything that I cannot explain or find an explanation for. Why are you asking this?"

Harry sighed. "I was afraid of this. Okay, there is a subset of our culture that exists where the members can perform magic to varying degrees. They are classed as witches and wizards. There have occasionally been warlocks, but they are rather rare. Our school is named Hogwart's. It is the top school of magic in Britain. There are some smaller, day schools but they are not in the same class as Hogwart's. There are school in other countries as well. You are a witch. I am a wizard. Now before you protest, I know you will want some sort of proof."

"Too right."

"I will not harm you," said Harry as he pulled his wand from his sleeve. He aimed at a small pile of books on the end table and said, "Wingardium Leviosa." The books began to float.

Francis/Hermione looked on in shock. "How?" She moved her hands all around the books to be sure there were no wires. "That isn't possible."

"Finite," said Harry, and the book dropped back to the table. "How about this? Orchideous." A large bouquet of orchids spring from the end of his wand. He handed them to her and let her make sure they were real. "There is so much more that can be done."

"But the physics…" She was so confused.

"I know. But your new friends can vouch for this if you feel the need to ask."

"Not yet. If you truly knew me, what is my name and where did I live?"

"Your birth name is Hermione Jane Granger. Your parents live in Crawley and are dentists. Completely non-magical. You were the smartest witch in our year and arguably the smartest in quite some time. When you were younger, you had buck teeth that your parents would not let you fix with magic. Then, there was an accident with magic where they grew several inches long and our school nurse repaired the spell damage and made them a normal size. We had another friend, Ron Weasley. He's still around. Red-headed git. All gangly and obsessed with food and sports."

"I saw a family of red-heads not long after I came here. There was a younger girl, and three older men. They were arguing and pointing at things like they were amazed."

"That would be the Weasleys. Ginny is the baby. Then Ron, George and most likely Bill. Did one of them have a fair number of scars on his face?"

"Yes!"

"Bill then. There were seven kids total. One passed away a couple years ago. They were all helping me look for you. We had more than thirty people scouring the country looking."

"So why didn't you find me?"

"A local police superintendent was a wizard. He attacked you and wiped your memories. He did not know who you were until he went to his contact for help in selling you. His contact in our government did and he helped cover it up. Both have been arrested. The superintendent was wiping the memories of witches and non-magical women for years and selling them into the sex slave market. When his contact saw who you were, he knew there was no way you could be sold without being recognized eventually. They conspired to drown you after wiping your memory."

"But I survived."

Sister Anne finished a prayer and spoke up," Harry, you need to tell her the whole story. Everything from the beginning. Unless you have a reversal for the obliviate spell, that's all you'll be able to do."

"I know. The Department of Mysteries has been working on a way to undo the spell without destroying the mind. I know the new spell, but no one has ever tried it on a person. Works great on mice, but no idea what will happen to us."

Hermione, as she was now trying to think of herself, sat quietly. She was trying to wrap herself around all this new, impossible information. "Say you do tell me everything and I don't get any memories back. What then? Do you just cast me away? Do you force me to come back and integrate?"

Harry ran his hand through his hair. "I dunno. I want you back. But I want you to be happy. Your parents want you back. Our friends want you back. I need you to come back to me."

"How good of a wizard are you Harry?"

"Power wise? I'm probably in the top one percent of all of us. Experience? After I tell you the full history, you can decide. I don't want to hurt you, Hermione. I wouldn't be able to keep going if I did."

"Tell me everything, then. Even things that aren't important. If I belong to your world, I need to know everything before I make up my mind."

"Okay. For us, it all started on the Hogwart's Express. A brilliant scarlet steam train that carried us from King's Square to Hogsmeade just down the hill from the school…"


End file.
